19 Stunning Light Brown Hair Color Ideas (With Pictures)

Light brown is a beautiful hair color that comes in different shades and suits a range of skin tones. Whether you prefer a natural or more prominent look, there are many ways you can rock light brown hair to stand out from the crowd.

An all-over solid hue is the simplest way to wear light brown hair. If you have a fair complexion, try a cool light brown shade. If you have medium or deep skin, experiment with warmer tones. This natural-looking aesthetic is particularly elegant on hair that's mid-length or long. To add interest, opt for a more complex cut with dimensional layers.

Ribbon highlights are a straightforward method to create depth with a warm light brown hue. The name for these highlights derives from the fact that they look ribbon-like when the hair is worn curly. Ask your hair colorist for just a few "ribbons" around the front for a gorgeous, effortless appearance. Alternatively, you can incorporate several "ribbons" throughout your entire head to instantly brighten up your hairstyle.

If you're an avid fashion follower, you'll know that ombre is still an extremely popular color technique in the hair world. Great for creating an authentic-looking transition from one color to another, it puts a contemporary spin on the conventional light brown hair hue. To lighten up your whole appearance, consider light brown roots that flow fluently into blonde ends.

Not feeling light brown to blonde ombre? You can cross over to the dark side by opting for dark brown roots and light brown ends instead, which is better suited to pale skin tones. If you fancy a braver, bolder look, introduce a third tone mid-way down your lengths (like plum or red) to adapt your dark ombre effect into a color melt.

Another on-trend coloring technique, balayage is the same as ombre in principle. It involves gradually transitioning one hue into another. However, balayage is designed to mimic the way that your tresses naturally lighten in the sun. Pieces of your root color are left untreated at the ends to produce more of a subtle effect. It looks especially stylish on wavy light brown locks.

If you have a darker, cooler shade of light brown hair and want to immediately add warmth, consider implementing some babylights throughout your whole head. Babylights are a very fine color technique that produces thin, delicate highlights. For a more dramatic effect, opt for blonde babylights throughout a short, choppy hairdo.

If you already have light brown tresses and want to make them even more luminous, try adding blonde flashes to your style. This is particularly stunning and effortless on a permed or extremely curly mane, as the flashes integrate more seamlessly into the rest of your locks. The result is a cute and cohesive look.

If you prefer the natural look but feel like creating visual intrigue with your hairdo, try a subtle two-tone ombre technique. Start with a darker light brown shade at your roots and then have it flow smoothly into lighter light brown shade at your ends. Wear your hair straight and smooth for a more noticeable, graceful effect.

If you have medium or deep skin and your hair is naturally brown, you can completely make it over by introducing a full head of light brown highlights. As well as adding warmth, it allows your tresses to look extra glamorous and glossy when styled into big, bouncy curls. The bonus? This look suits all skin tones.

T-zone highlighting is a great way to instantaneously revamp your look without having to commit to a full head of highlights. With this example, the prime purpose of T-zone highlighting is to add a warm light brown shade to reddish brown locks. Particularly suited to fair skin, this color combination produces a unique, customized look that's perfect for the individual.

To prevent short brunette hair from looking too dull or one-dimensional, consider adding light brown touches of color to your locks. These can be applied freehand to your front section by your hairdresser to promptly frame and flatter your face. Flashes look exceptionally impressive on a feathered cut as a way of accentuating the layers and bringing them to the surface.

Partial highlighting is where your tresses are only highlighted in certain areas. If you ask your hair colorist to focus on your front section around your face, blonde highlights can easily add some sunshine to the cool shades of light brown locks. If you leave the rest of your hair as it is, the partial highlights will frame your face and ultimately brighten a fair complexion.

Frosting can add a fun salt and pepper look to your locks. It's all about blending light and dark shades in an understated way that appears more muted than traditional highlights. Blonde or copper frosting is quirky and distinctive on cool shades of light brown hair. If you prefer a minimalistic aesthetic, simply opt for a frosted fringe or partial frosting around your face.

The difference between lowlights and highlights is that, with lowlights, the applied color is darker than your original hair hue. If you're looking to make a serious style statement, opt for cool, chocolate lowlights on your light brown locks at the roots but leave the ends natural. The result is a ravishing effect that's even more eye-catching on an authentically tousled mane.

To inject a sense of youthful energy into your light brown tresses, why not try an all-over plum tint? This is breathtakingly bewitching on long, layered hair and best suits medium skin tones. If you want to play around with a plum hue but don't want to commit long-term, consider a temporary color rinse shampoo.

If you're looking for a simple, straightforward way to get ahead of the style pack this season, incorporate a dark brown to light brown ombre. For a natural, cohesive aesthetic, keep your real hair color as your roots and then just ask your colorist to add the warm brown ends. Wear your hair straight to see the seamless shade transition in all its glory. Alternatively, wear your tresses long, loose, and curly for a standout look.

A quick, easy way to add variation to your brunette locks it with warm, light brown dip-dyed ends. Like the name suggests, this technique involves coloring the bottom few inches of your hair to look like the ends have been dipped in dye. It might be very simple but it results in a cool, refreshing aesthetic.

Immediately liven up your light brown locks and create vibrancy through irresistible copper highlights. Whether you opt for a full head or just focus on one area, the warmth of this look is what makes it so entrancing on all skin tones.

Finally, if you're looking for a true one-of-a-kind hairdo, you can stop your search! Utilize vivacious, alternative hues like pink, blue, purple, and green to make your light brown hair color pop. You can achieve these colorful streaks through hair chalks or DIY semi-permanent dye. Either way, this aesthetic isn't for the faint-hearted, but it's sure to attract attention.

Pictures Shed Light

There are a variety of light brown hair color options to suit every mood and personal style. Review these light brown hair color pictures to get a sense of what you like, then experiment to find out what works for you and your skin tone.